Let Me Meet You chapter 25
The Decision
“Sheng Min?” The host, noticing his lack of movement, urged, “Come on, blow out the candles and make a wish. We hope everything goes well for you in the future.”
His tone was carefully practiced, dripping with a superficial, fake sincerity, as if he feared the audience wouldn’t notice. Dressed impeccably and smiling sweetly, Li Xuan found his face utterly repulsive, wanting to flip the table and walk out, though he instinctively forced himself to sit back down.
He couldn’t leave, Li Xuan thought. It would feel satisfying to tear his mask off and walk away, but once the episode aired, after editing, ‘Sheng Min’s’ public outburst would probably become an even better headline than the story of his childhood. With so many fans in the audience, he couldn’t let his moment of anger give Sheng Min something to regret later…
The host continued urging him, the voice loud and annoying, the background music even began to play the birthday song. Fans below started clapping along, their emotions easily stirred up. Everything was ready, just waiting for him to obediently cooperate.
Li Xuan glanced around, coldly sneering inside, and quickly made a decision. He stood up and signaled to the sound technician beside him. “Could you please turn off the music?”
Suddenly, everything came to a halt. The applause stopped, and the host looked at him questioningly. Li Xuan ignored him and reminded the technician again, “Please turn off the music, thank you.”
“Sheng Min?” The host’s tone was probing. Fans below started to whisper, sensing something was wrong.
“Everyone,” Li Xuan made a quieting gesture. “Let me say a few words first.”
After an eerie silence descended, Li Xuan looked around, smiling lightly. “I really didn’t expect this surprise. If I had known, maybe I wouldn’t have come.”
He paused for a moment, then added, “After all, they’ve already paid the appearance fee, prepared a video and cake for me. It’s quite extravagant. I’m not a greedy person, but I worry that if the viewership is too low when it airs, the production team might think it’s not worth it and not invite me again. But if they do, I might have to think twice. I’m a bit too cautious. Sometimes surprises turn into shocks… Oh, I’m not talking about today, host, don’t overthink it.”
Fans below gave a good-natured laugh.
“This video, I guess, was meant to make me reminisce about hardships, right?” He gave a puzzled expression. “My mom and the crew really put a lot of thought into it.”
The host smiled awkwardly. “Not at all, it’s just Auntie’s blessings…”
“I appreciate the good intentions, but it’s a bit hard.” Li Xuan shrugged, ignoring him. “If you were hoping to hear something like ‘thank you for the hardships that made me stronger,’ I’m not going to say that. When I came here, I saw a Xinhua bookstore on the second floor of the mall across the street. I could buy a self-help book, and any random page would probably be ten times better than anything I could say.”
He pushed his chair back and casually walked around the stage. “I don’t thank so-called hardships because I never felt like I was suffering or struggling. It was just a process I had to go through, and I already went through it. For example, if I couldn’t get enough food, the only thing I’d think about is how to fill my stomach, not why I couldn’t get enough food. But actually, I never had it that tough when I was younger. Now, as an actor, I often control my diet to look good on screen.”
There was some laughter, but it was quieter this time.
“Similarly, I don’t feel like a newly rich person just because I’ve made it this far. I admit there might have been some luck involved, but I think it’s more than just luck?” Li Xuan glanced back. “What do you think, host?”
The host, suddenly called upon, hurriedly replied, “Of course, of course. Sheng Min, you work very hard, and we’ve all seen that…”
“You said it, so it’s not me boasting,” Li Xuan smiled, not giving him a chance to finish. He walked back to the two-tier cake, raised his hand, and blew out the candles. As the flames flickered, he felt a brief, slight sting, but still kept smiling. “I won’t make a wish. I don’t even know who to make it to. I believe in making things happen through effort.”
He glanced at the fans below. Sheng Min today felt different. There was a look of confusion and surprise on many faces. But Li Xuan didn’t care about that anymore.
He couldn’t and wouldn’t let “Sheng Min” be manipulated by others. What the real Sheng Min would do, he didn’t care. Since he was here, it wasn’t going to happen.
Fans continued shaking their light sticks, some girls with red eyes from crying. Li Xuan had never been a fan, so he didn’t quite understand, but he had said most of what needed to be said. The host’s face was beginning to look strained, but thinking of Sheng Min, he added a few kind words: “Thank you all for your love and support, really. So I hope you get to know me through me. For me, as long as I can move forward, nothing’s too bad. Things are good now, who knows what the future holds, but it’s all coming. And most importantly, I hope you can all live your own good lives.”
He gently bowed. “Thank you.”
The host was still in a daze, probably unsure how to return to the scheduled program flow with a few more questions left on the interview outline. But Li Xuan didn’t give him the chance to continue asking. He directly grabbed his hand, shook it, and with a half-smile, said, “You’ve worked hard,” before decisively ending the interview.
“Where is he?” As the audience was guided out of the studio by the staff, some were shouting Sheng Min’s name. Li Xuan went straight to Yang Xu.
“Who… Xuan Ge… I don’t know…” Yang Xu didn’t realize until Li Xuan asked, noticing the empty seat next to him. “Oh no, when did he leave?”
Li Xuan furrowed his brows and dialed Sheng Min’s number. Yang Xu, looking around, still asked if everything had been set up for today.
“Ge, you spoke so well. Did you write a script? I was stunned listening to it.”
The phone didn’t connect. A mechanical voice announced that it was off. Li Xuan looked around and noticed the closest exit was the backstage door on the left. He hung up and hurriedly walked over.
“Ge, slow down!” Yang Xu, still in the middle of complimenting him, suddenly noticed he had disappeared and rushed to catch up, calling out, “Slow down, where are you going?”
Li Xuan didn’t answer, walking briskly. Yang Xu couldn’t keep up, sweat already forming on his forehead. Li Xuan suddenly stopped, turned, and asked, “Where is Zhang Zhihua?”
“Huh?” Yang Xu almost bumped into him, surprised by the sudden question. Without thinking, he replied, “He should still be in the studio…”
“Don’t follow me. Help me find Sheng… find where Li Xuan is. If you find him, call me… Give me your phone.”
Li Xuan took Yang Xu’s phone, dialed his number, heard one ring, then hung up. “This number.”
“Whose number is this?”
“Li Xuan’s,” Li Xuan replied before he could ask another question. “We swapped phones today.”
“No, Ge, your phones are different…” Yang Xu was even more confused. However, Li Xuan didn’t pay him any more attention, waved his hand to tell him to go start looking, and turned to walk back into the studio.
Zhang Zhihua was indeed still sitting inside, with a man beside him, who appeared to be the director or producer, chatting warmly.
“Sorry, I need to talk to my manager about something.” Without waiting for a response, Li Xuan grabbed Zhang Zhihua’s arm, and with his other hand, he reached around to drape it over Zhang Zhihua’s shoulder. It seemed friendly and amicable, but in fact, it was a forceful tug that pulled Zhang Zhihua towards the nearby restroom. With a swift kick, he slammed the door shut and locked it.
“Sheng Min, are you out of your mind? What are you doing?” Zhang Zhihua yelled out as his arm was painfully pulled.
“What’s going on today?” Li Xuan ignored his shouting and dragged him all the way to the farthest corner by the sealed window before letting go of his arm and asking directly.
“What do you mean ‘what’s going on’? What are you talking about?” Zhang Zhihua met his cold gaze, his voice dropping unconsciously by half a tone.
“The video.”
“I didn’t record it. Why are you asking me?” Zhang Zhihua rubbed his wrist, looking annoyed, his tone mocking and dismissive. “If you want to complain, go to your mom. Didn’t she sell you out again? I don’t know how much the program team paid this time, but it’s not the first time.”
“Not the first time? When else?”
“Don’t play dumb…”
“I’m asking you a question,” Li Xuan said coldly.
“Have you lost your mind today?” Zhang Zhihua pointed at him twice, trying to move around him, but Li Xuan stepped left to block his path. “We’re not leaving until this is sorted out. I’ll still calmly ask you, and you better speak clearly.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but there was an unmistakable coldness to it.
“What are you talking about!” Zhang Zhihua was almost furious, but he couldn’t escape the corner where Li Xuan had trapped him.
“Do you not remember how many times your old clothes, textbooks, and student ID photos were sold off? Haven’t you been dragged out to be mocked every time? Remember when she came to the set during the New Year to ask you for money, slapped you in front of the whole crew, and it trended for days? Oh, and your little brother got arrested at a bar last year. While you were recording that variety show, your mom showed up to tell you to go pick him up… Your whole family’s mess, and you’re asking me? Have you really lost your memory? Can’t you remember how messed up your life is?”
With every word he spoke, Li Xuan’s face grew colder. His hand pressed against the windowsill, and the cold water droplets left behind on the marble soaked into his palm.
Seeing that Li Xuan’s expression was worse, Zhang Zhihua, thinking he had hit a sore spot, smirked with a sense of gloating: “Well, today turned out okay. I’ve been telling you to play the victim, but you refused. Now look, it worked, right? Those little girls below, their eyes are all red. The more miserable you are, the more they pity you, and the more they’ll spend their time and money on you…”
“Enough.” Li Xuan frowned.
“I think you should stop pretending to be so high and mighty… you didn’t perform well today. If you had cried on stage, the effect would have been even better…”
“I said enough.” Li Xuan repeated. Zhang Zhihua, in the heat of his own self-satisfaction, didn’t hear him and kept talking. Li Xuan, burning with silent rage, took a step forward and suddenly pressed his elbow hard against his neck. “You really can’t understand a simple enough, huh?!”
Zhang Zhihua’s teeth clicked together, unable to speak, his neck pressed against Li Xuan’s elbow, gasping for air.
“Shut up if you can’t speak properly. Let me talk,” Li Xuan increased the pressure slightly, his face dark. “I don’t care how you do it, but when this episode airs, the part related to today’s video must be cut. It cannot appear for even a second. If it does, I will hold you responsible.”
“Also watch all the social media closely. If there are any related posts, text ones are fine, but if anyone posts pictures from the video, contact the website immediately to have them taken down.”
Zhang Zhihua stared at him. He was almost twice as big as Li Xuan, but right now, he couldn’t break free. His throat was being compressed, and he couldn’t breathe properly. His face was turning red and his neck thick with strain.
“Understand?” Li Xuan let him struggle for a moment before finally releasing him. Zhang Zhihua bent over immediately and started coughing uncontrollably.
“Sheng Min, have you lost your mind? What are you doing to me?” He tried to fight back but lacked the strength, cursing incoherently, throwing around words like ‘bastard’ and ‘crazy’.
“Watch your mouth!” Li Xuan snapped, pointing at him viciously. “Zhang Zhihua, listen carefully. If you can’t do this, I’ll get someone else. I won’t keep useless managers around.”
Zhang Zhihua’s eyes widened, nearly choking on his words. He coughed, his face red with anger, “You want to fire me? You think you can just fire me, Sheng Min? Who do you think you are? Getting a little cocky now, huh?”
“It’s you who’s being cocky. I’ve been strong for a long time, and it’s not the first time. You’ve just been too clueless about it.”
Li Xuan watched him seethe in rage, his own voice calm and methodical. “I’ve seen the reports. Last year, I contributed 27.3% of the company’s artist revenue… What’s with that expression? You didn’t even know this? Your incompetence is beyond what I expected.”
His face changed in an instant. One moment, he was using force, the next, he was calmly laying out the facts. Zhang Zhihua was totally confused by the sudden shift in tone.
“So what?” Zhang Zhihua snapped. “No matter how much you make, you’re just an artist for the company.”
“Exactly, if the company wants to deal with me, it’s easy, but I’m not in conflict with them. You, though—there’s nothing you can do about me.” Li Xuan took a step back, leaning against the windowsill. “If I’m not mistaken, my contract expires next year. Whether I renew… well, I’m happy to work with the company, but if I have to terminate the contract because my manager is useless… do you think it’s possible that you’ll be the first to go?”
“You want to terminate your contract?” Zhang Zhihua shouted, disbelief on his face.
“Come on, Manager Zhang. The only reason you can feel so at ease being a useless hindrance is because you’re sure I’m too mild-tempered to consider terminating the contract, that I can tolerate you, right?”
Li Xuan thought to himself that Sheng Min was indeed too tolerant; perhaps even Sheng Min himself hadn’t realized it was a form of endurance. He paused, looking at Zhang Zhihua. “Do you still think that way?”
Zhang Zhihua’s expression shifted slightly, and he finally quieted down, unconsciously raising his hand to touch the bruise Li Xuan had left on his neck.
“Do you think the boss cares more about me, the cash cow, or you, his in-law? You’ve already lost most of your artists; I’m the only one left under your management.” Li Xuan clicked his tongue twice. “Don’t fool yourself. Even if you were his son, he wouldn’t keep you around forever.”
“…Are you fucking threatening me?”
“Don’t throw around swear words. You think you’re the only one who can? I can curse ten times worse if you’d like. Yes, I’m threatening you.” Li Xuan nodded casually. “Is it working? It should a little.”
“You really think I’m afraid of you?” Zhang Zhihua forced himself to say, though his voice had grown softer.
“Whether you’re scared or not isn’t something words can decide.” Li Xuan checked his phone. Yang Xu still hadn’t called, probably still searching. Li Xuan didn’t feel like dragging things out any longer. He rolled up his sleeves and took a step forward, causing Zhang Zhihua to instinctively step back, like a frightened bird.
“You’re not completely useless; it’s my past indifference that’s made you lose sight of your duties.” Li Xuan smirked slightly, reaching out to straighten the front of Zhang Zhihua’s shirt, which he had wrinkled in his grip. His tone softened. “As for previous incidents, I won’t dwell on old grievances. If you still want to profit off my success, then do your job well. I’m your only artist left, so if you can’t even handle me, do you think the company will keep assigning you new artists? You should know that if I’m doing well, you’ll benefit too. Think of today’s video as your pledge of loyalty: from now on, any incident that happens during an event I attend is on you… Of course, if you handle this well, you’ll still be here for the future… But if you mess this up…”
Li Xuan gave a mock sigh, gently tapping Zhang Zhihua’s shoulder with a smile. “Things aren’t what they used to be. Weigh your options carefully.”
With that, he turned to leave. Zhang Zhihua instinctively called after him, “Sheng… Sheng Min.”
“What?” Li Xuan turned around. “Was I not clear?”
“No…” Zhang Zhihua mumbled, looking at Li Xuan with a strange, almost reverent expression.
He didn’t recognize this person at all.
It wasn’t the first time Zhang Zhihua felt this way, but for the first time, a vague fear crept up within him.
The words weren’t just threats; this man could actually follow through, like how he had just pinned him with full force. If he wanted to, he could really make him die here today without resistance. This sudden thought dawned on Zhang Zhihua.
But he couldn’t believe it; anyone else might be capable of such things, but not Sheng Min. Sheng Min was supposed to be mild-tempered, at least that’s how Zhang Zhihua had always known him. Sheng Min seemed detached from everyone, always calm, untouched by the world around him. Like a handful of water that could easily be molded.
But who else could this be but Sheng Min? Zhang Zhihua shivered involuntarily.
“What’s been going on with you recently?” Zhang Zhihua finally asked, with a hint of reluctant kindness in his tone.
Li Xuan lowered his eyes, seeing the deep green tiles on the floor that looked almost red under the lights, a reminder of that bloodstain in Sheng Min’s house that wouldn’t wash away after waking up in the bathtub that day.
“You played a part in it.” Li Xuan smiled faintly, then opened the door and walked off with long strides.